During a vehicle test, such as crash test, multiple devices are sometimes used to electronically record data associated with the test. For example, various types of instrumentation are placed inside a vehicle during the test, and this instrumentation collects various corresponding types of data. Where the instrumentation is distributed across multiple devices, the data collected by the multiple devices is compared and analyzed in order to perform an overall analysis of the collected data associated with the test.
Comparing and analyzing the data collected by the multiple devices has in some cases been performed with reference to indications of time obtained from a computing network, such as indications of time obtained by multiple mobile phones from a network time server. Indications of time obtained by multiple mobile phones, where the multiple mobile phones each include the instrumentation discussed above, are used in an attempt to synchronize the data collected by the multiple mobile phones with respect to a start of the test. The data collected by the multiple mobile phones is then compared and analyzed. However, an indication of time obtained by a mobile phone is susceptible to distortions caused by drift within the mobile phone; slight movements of the mobile phone; slight movements of seats or other objects within the vehicle before the crash test begins, which result in corresponding movements of the mobile phone; and various other factors. Consequently, synchronizing data collected by multiple mobile phones using indications of time obtained by the multiple mobile phones leaves the comparison and analysis of data susceptible to error, particularly given the need for precise synchronization of data associated with a vehicle crash test because of the extremely short duration of the actual crash event.